Tag Archives: Quick-Tip Tuesday

I’ve published nineteen novels, written lots of short stories, and (for those who like their cautionary tales with a dollop of irony) even co-authored a book on writing. And here I was, totally enamored of a manuscript that had deep … Continue reading →

What can I say? I have a bit of an OCD streak. Okay, maybe even more than “a bit.” But setting work goals and making up a work schedule for a new year is not just about me being the … Continue reading →

I have a process that I tend to follow book after book. I’m stubborn, and a creature of habit. Having written all four Thieftaker and all three Fearsson books largely by following my regular creative routine, I fully expected that … Continue reading →

“But,” you say, “what if an editor asks me to make that two month deadline?” Be honest with her. Tell her that two months won’t work, but you can get it done in three, or three and a half. When … Continue reading →

It would be so easy to give up, to set writing aside for a while. Because when we write, by necessity we access emotion, and that’s not a place I particularly want to go right now. To which my inner … Continue reading →

Which brings me to today’s Quick-Tip. It’s a terrible cliché, but clichés arise because on some level they convey an essential truth. As much as I would encourage you to write, to devote yourself to improving your craft and following … Continue reading →

I usually write with a good deal of structure in my process, and so I thrive on relatively unstructured music to inspire my creative process. So, I thought, what if with this project, to which I’ve taken a relatively unstructured … Continue reading →

By the time we hit that 60-70% mark, things look dire for our good guys. And at that point we often discover that we have no idea how to get from where we are — often a world gone to … Continue reading →

It’s Quick-Tip Tuesday, and I’m back at Magical Words with a post about how to establish and meet work goals without setting ourselves up for disappointment and discouragement. You can find the post here. And the Summer/Fall 2016 Blog Tour … Continue reading →

So how do we imbue our prose with emotion? Well, we DON’T do it with a sledge hammer. I am not telling you to bludgeon your readers with paragraphs-long explorations of your characters’ emotions. That would be no better than … Continue reading →